Tag Archives: leg of lamb

Rolled Boneless Leg of Lamb with Green Herb Stuffing

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Here is the quintessential roast lamb recipe for a sit-down Sunday dinner party, or family supper. From Molly Stevens “All About Roasting” cookbook—a cherished favorite of ours—this compact bundle of tender, flavorful meat serves 6 on the smaller leg of lamb, or up 10 with a 4 1⁄2 pounder like ours, and all without breaking the bank. (BTW, Costco has real good prices on different cuts of lamb.)

This recipe goes beyond the pure and simple method of just seasoning with salt and pepper. The flavor is bumped up by smearing the butterflied piece of meat with an herb paste, tying it back into a bundle, and roasting for about 1 hour. Our leg of lamb weighed in at 4.8 pounds, so quite a bit larger than the recipe called for. But by cooking it in a convection oven, the roasting time didn’t take much longer.

It also made for more servings; which was a good thing because son David and his buddy Mike came over to help lug stuff out of our basement, and they stayed for dinner. The meat was paired with twice-baked potatoes and asparagus bundles wrapped in bacon. Let’s just say, they don’t have “shy” appetites, and they got a doggy bag to take home with them.

Rolled Boneless Leg of Lamb with Green Herb Stuffing

  • Servings: 6 to 8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • One 2 1⁄2- to 3-pound butterflied leg of lamb
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1⁄2 cup chicken or beef broth, preferably homemade
  • 1⁄4 cup dry white wine, or dry white vermouth

Directions

  1. Lay the lamb out flat on a cutting board. Arrange it so the cut side is down and the outside faces up. If there is more than a 1⁄8-inch scant layer of fat, pare it down with a sharp, thin-bladed knife till it just barely covers the meat. Flip the meat and trim away any large clumps of fat from the cut side.
  2. Follow the directions below to make the herb stuffing. Make sure the lamb is skin side down and spread with herb paste.
  3. Roll the lamb into a cylinder so that the grain of the meat runs the length of the roast. Using kichen string, secure the roll by tying loops of string at 1 1⁄2-inch intervalls along its length.
  4. Finish by weaving a long loop of twine through the crosswise loops.
  5. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 350°F (235° convection).
  6. Place the lamb on a shallow roasting pan or a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet just a bit larger than the meat. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the lamb reaches 120-125° for rare; 130° for medium.
  7. Transfer the leg to a cutting board, preferably one with a trough, and let the meat rest for 20-30 minutes.
  8. If the pan drippings look appealing, and you want to make a pan sauce, start by tilting the and pouring or spooning off the clear fat, stop before you discard any of the drippings, even if this means leaving some fat.
  9. Add the broth or water and the white wine or vermouth. Heat over medium heat, scrapping up the drippings with a wooden spoon. Transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. If it seems a bit watery, simmer a bit longer.
  10. Carve the meat into thick or thin slices as you like, removing the kitchen string as you go. Add any carving juices to the sauce and serve.

Green Herb Stuffing

This piquant, verdant stuffing enhances the rich flavor of the lamb and provides a visual contrast to the rosy meat.

Ingredients

  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1⁄4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano or marjoram leaves
  • 2 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1⁄4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. Start the food processor, and with the motor running, drop in the garlic cloves. When finely minced, stop the motor, remove the top, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the parsley, mint, oregano, anchovies, cracked black pepper, 3⁄4 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes.
  2. Arrange the butterflied leg of lamb skin side down, and spread the herb stuffing all the way to the edges, rubbing it in with your hands to get into any crevices or gaps. Roll and tie the roast with kitchen twine. Gather any herb paste that falls out during rolling and tying and rub it over the surface of the lamb.
  3. Follow the above instructions from Step 5 for roasting the stuffed leg.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipes from “All About Roasting” by Molly Stevens

Kleftiko (Greek Lamb Cooked in Parchment)

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Neither quick to make, nor just a few ingredients, but if you’re looking for something to knock the socks of your dinner guests, this Greek Lamb Kleftiko recipe delivers on both taste and presentation. To put it simply, kleftiko is a traditional Greek dish of slow-roasted lamb cooked in parchment with potatoes and vegetables. This meal is the ultimate in one-pot cooking.

This foolproof method will give you perfectly tender lamb every time. The secret to succulent lamb and tender vegetables is cooking everything wrapped in parchment paper. And to make it even easier, use boneless leg of lamb. You could also make this in a large braising pot with a sheet of parchment across the pot under the lid.

Why cook in parchment? Not only does parchment protect your pan and for easy clean-up, but when you envelop meat in parchment paper before roasting, it traps the heat and moisture, creating a steam pocket that helps the meat cook gently from the inside. The result is meltingly tender lamb that is never dry!

Kleftiko (Greek Lamb Cooked in Parchment)

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: moderate
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Ingredients

  • 1 boneless leg of lamb, about 3 ½ lbs., trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 ½ Tbsp. dried oregano, divided
  • 1 Tbsp. dried thyme, divided
  • 1 Tbsp. dried parsley, divided (or dried marjoram)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 10 garlic cloves, minced
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup white wine
  • Extra virgin olive oil, I used Greek Private Reserve EVOO
  • 4 to 5 large Russet potatoes, about 3 lbs., peeled and quartered
  • 2 large sweet bell peppers, cored and cut into large chunks
  • 2 large tomatoes, cut into thick wedges
  • 1 large red onion, cut into large chunks
  • ½ cup vegetable or beef broth
  • 4 oz. feta cheese, cut into blocks, optional

Directions

  1. Season and marinate the lamb. Place the boneless leg of lamb in a large bowl. Using a sharp knife, make a few slits in the boneless leg of lamb. Rub the lamb all over with 2 tablespoons dried oregano and ½ tablespoon each dried thyme and dried parsley. Season well with kosher salt and black pepper on all sides. Then rub with the mustard and the majority of the garlic (reserving 1 tablespoon of the garlic for the vegetables). It’s important to push some of the garlic and seasoning into the slits you’ve cut earlier for best flavor.
  2. Transfer the lamb to a large bowl and add the lemon juice, white wine, red wine vinegar, and about ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, turning the lamb in the bowl to make sure it is well coated. Set the lamb aside for a few minutes while working on the vegetables. (But if you do have the time, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 4-6 hours).
  3. Preheat the oven to 375°F. And position a rack in the middle.
  4. Prepare the roasting pan and parchment paper. Line a large roasting pan with two very large pieces of parchment paper, making a cross shape so that you have long pieces of parchment overhang on all sides of the pan (about 12 inches of parchment overhang on all sides of the pan).
  5. Assemble the vegetables and lamb in the pan. Spread the potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions in the bottom of the pan over the parchment. Season with a good pinch of kosher salt and black pepper and the remainder of the dried oregano, thyme, and parsley. Sprinkle the remainder of the garlic on top and drizzle with a little olive oil. Add the lamb on top of the vegetables and pour the broth in from the side of the pan.
  6. Fold the parchment to cover the lamb and vegetables. Pull parchment paper sides together and tightly crimp them up to fully encase the lamb and vegetables in the parchment parcel.
  7. Roast. Place the roasting pan on the center rack of your heated oven and cook for about 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours or until the meat is tender and falls apart easily at the touch of your fork (you can check partway through and add more broth or water, if needed).
  8. Brown. Uncover the meat and veggies and fold excess parchment paper into the inside of the pan. If using, add the feta cheese at this point. Raise the heat to 425°F and return the pan to the oven (uncovered) for 15-20 minutes until the lamb and vegetables gain some color.
  9. Let rest. Once ready, allow the lamb kleftiko to sit for about 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
  10. Serve. Pull the meat apart using two forks to shred. Serve the lamb in bowls over the vegetables.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Suzy Karadsheh

Sous Vide Leg of Lamb with Salsa Verde

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This is a great meal for a slow, cool Sunday afternoon—provided you have an immersion circulator for the sous vide process. If you don’t own one, Christmas is coming up and it could make your list—just sayin’. Sous vide, which means “under vacuum” in French, refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath. This technique produces wonderful results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method.

The benefits:

Consistency. Because you cook your food to a precise temperature for a precise amount of time, you can expect very consistent results. Taste. Food cooks in its juices. This ensures that the food is moist, juicy and tender. Waste reduction. Traditionally prepared food dries out and results in waste. For example, on average, traditionally cooked steak loses up to 40% of its volume due to drying out. Steak cooked via precision cooking, loses none of its volume. Flexibility. Traditional cooking can require your constant attention. Precision cooking brings food to an exact temperature and holds it. There is no worry about overcooking.

It’s actually very affordable and easy to get started with sous vide cooking thanks to the recent availability of sous vide devices built for the home cook. We own a Joule which is the smallest sous vide tool on the market. But it’s also the most powerful. It heats to the perfect temperature—no more, no less—which means that your proteins won’t overcook, ever. Even if they cook for extra time. 

As far as this recipe, by all means, feel free to use whatever dried herbs you happen to have on hand. Don’t have coriander? No biggie. Only have dried rosemary? Don’t sweat it. Create a taste profile that suits your own preferences. The amounts below indicate how much overall you’ll need.

To begin, season the leg of lamb liberally on both sides with kosher salt. Lay with the fat cap side down and score the top with a sharp pairing knife by dragging the knife across in diagonal lines both ways. Rub your herb mixture all over the scored side. Roll it up, and secure in place with butcher’s twine. Simply, vacuum seal the rolled leg of lamb and she’s ready for her water bath.

Our roast was only 2 1⁄2 pounds and we got 4-5 servings out of it, so a 5-pounder would yield 8-10 servings. It was delicious! We prefer our lamb medium-rare, but if you like yours less pink, adjust the immersion circulator to preheat the water bath temperature as needed.

Sous Vide Leg of Lamb with Salsa Verde

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: moderate
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Ingredients

For the lamb:

  • 3-5 lb. boneless leg of lamb
  • 1 Tbsp. mustard seeds, lightly toasted
  • 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds, lightly toasted
  • 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds, lightly toasted
  • 1 tsp. peppercorns
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • Leaves of 1 rosemary sprig
  • Leaves of 2 thyme sprigs
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Ghee or butter for searing

For the salsa verde (optional):

  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. flaked sea salt
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Prep herbs and spices
  • Score the lamb
  • Rub mixture into meat
  • Roll meat
  • Secure with butcher’s twine
  • Put vacuum-sealed bag in water bath
  • After meat comes to temp, sear all sides in very hot skillet

Directions

  1. Using your immersion circulator, preheat water bath to 130° F.
  2. Add all the ingredients except the lamb, ghee, and salsa verde ingredients to a food processor or use a mortar and pestle to grind them into a paste.
  3. Season the leg of lamb liberally on both sides with additional kosher salt. Lay with the fat cap side down (you can trim this if you want) and score the top with a sharp pairing knife (this means dragging the knife across in diagonal lines both ways).
  4. Rub the herb mixture all over the scored side. Roll it up, and secure in place with butcher’s twine.
  5. Vacuum seal the rolled leg of lamb or add to a gallon-sized zipper top bag and remove all the air. Add to preheated water bath and cook for 3-5 hours.
  6. When done, remove from the water bath and bag. Pat leg of lamb as dry as possible with paper towels.
  7. Get a cast iron skillet searing hot—as hot as possible—and add enough ghee to coat the skillet. Sear the leg of lamb on all sides until golden brown. You may need to prop up the lamb roast with tongs to make sure it is browned all over.
  8. Let the leg of lamb rest for a moment on the cutting board. Prep the salsa verde by mixing together all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
  9. Remove the twine from the leg of lamb and slice into 1/2 inch slices. Top with salsa verde and serve!

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Chelsea Cole, food blogger for A Duck’s Oven

Perfect Reverse-Seared Leg of Lamb

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What many don’t realize is that prepping and cooking a big cut of meat can actually be easier and more forgiving than working with smaller cuts. According to chef Alan Bergo, you just need to know a few basic principles, and have a simple trick or two up your sleeve. Here he shares his favorite method for serving up a flawless roast leg of lamb on your first try. It employs a surprisingly simple kitchen hack known as the reverse-sear.

Truth be told, while we’ve done the reverse-sear method on a number of cuts of beef, this was our maiden voyage with lamb. In this case, the recipe called for a 3-4 pound leg of lamb, but ours was nearly 5 pounds so the cooking time was actually 2 hours and 20 minutes. We used an internal thermometer to measure the temperature the entire time it was roasting.

One ingredient not included in the original recipe was garlic, so we included 4 cloves and mashed them in a large mortar with salt. Next we added the herbs (which we increased from 1/4 cup to a 1/2 cup since our roast was larger), and mashed it altogether to make a paste.

The lamb entrée was paired with Smashed Sage-Butter Potatoes that were so tender and creamy and Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Shallots. A word to the wise on the potatoes: make sure to get the small baby Yukons. This time around the store wasn’t carrying them, and we picked up 3+” potatoes, shown below. They came out wonderfully creamy, but the sagey butter didn’t really penetrate into the interiors as much.

Perfect Reverse-Seared Leg of Lamb

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 Boneless leg of lamb (3-4 pounds)
  • Flavorless high heat cooking oil, like grape seed
  • 1/2 cup aromatic herbs like rosemary sage and thyme, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed in a mortar with salt
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt or more to taste
  • 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper or more to taste
  • Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. In a large mortar, mash the garlic cloves with kosher salt until pulverized. If using rosemary, mash that with the garlic and then finish with the remaining herbs.
  2. Season the meat with salt, pepper and the garlic-herbs paste inside and out. Roll the leg up tightly and tie with kitchen twine to ensure even cooking. Let it sit uncovered in the fridge overnight.
  3. The next day, 1 1/2 hours before you want to serve (assuming a 3-4 lb leg) preheat the oven to 250 °F and place the leg in the oven. Insert an internal thermometer if you have one and set it for 130° for medium-rare. If all you have is an instant-read thermometer, start checking after one hour to monitor the meat doneness.
  4. When the internal temperature comes up to your target temperature (which could be 2 hours or more), remove the leg from the oven and allow to cool on its rack loosely tented with foil in a warmish location for 15-20 minutes.
  5. Finally, rub some extra-virgin olive oil all around the roast and heat a few tablespoons of grape seed oil in the sauté or cast iron pan on high. Turn on the hood, and or open a window, since you’ll be using some high heat for a few minutes. When the oil is just starting to smoke gently, reduce the heat to medium-high and brown the roast deeply on all sides.
  6. After the roast is browned, transfer to a cutting board, remove the twine, cut into slices with a sharp knife and serve immediately.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Original recipe by Alan Bergo